


Child's Play 5: the Royal Connection

by Geminia (Geminia905)



Series: Child's Play [5]
Category: Hercules: The Legendary Journeys
Genre: Fluff and Angst, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 1999-01-01
Updated: 1999-01-01
Packaged: 2018-01-09 11:23:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,870
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1145386
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Geminia905/pseuds/Geminia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A visit to a neighbouring kingdom is full of surprises.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Child's Play 5: the Royal Connection

"Daddy! Look it! Look it!"

Iphicles glanced out the window of the coach where Iolaus was pointing. He smiled when he saw the source of the toddler's excitement: a large stag running at the edge of the wood they were passing. In the distance he could see the tall ivory towers of a castle.

"Almost there," he said, turning back to Rena. He saw the worry in her eyes and reached across the way to take one of her hands in his. "Don't worry. Hyllus is going to be fine. Levana will see to it."

"I know she'll take care of him, but I'm his mother. I should be there, too."

Their son had come down with chills and a fever a few nights before. The healer had assured them that it was nothing more than a bad cold and that the young prince would be fine in no more than a week. Unfortunately, he also stressed that he should not be taken out of the castle. Normally this was no problem, Rena would stay with him while Iphicles handled his royal duties. This time, however, they were to meet with a neighboring kingdom's rulers to discuss an alliance and protocol demanded that they both attend.

"I promise we'll leave as soon as possible." He smiled reassuringly and squeezed her hand.

Turning back to watch out the window with Iolaus, Iphicles wondered why he felt this simple diplomatic visit was about to get very complicated.

* * *

When they arrived at the palace they were met by the king's aide. The man was a retired soldier who also acted as the king's bodyguard. Although displaying a military bearing, he was very amiable and seemed quite taken with Iolaus. When they first stepped out, and Iphicles put the child down in front of him, the man seemed in a state of shock. Once he snapped out of it, he grinned at the boy and received a dazzling smile in return.

He led them inside and down a corridor toward the throne room. As they were passing a large stone column Iolaus stopped dead in his tracks. Their escort noticed their sudden stop and glanced back. He saw the boy staring at the column and followed his gaze.

"Aetheria. What are you doing there? Why don't you come and greet our guests?"

A small girl about Iolaus' age emerged from the shadows and quickly ducked behind her guardian. She peaked out at the visitors, a stray lock of blond curls falling in front of one cerulean eye.

Iphicles and Rena stared in stunned silence as the man finally coaxed her out and she stood beside Iolaus. It was obvious now why he had been so taken aback by the boy. Although the girl was slightly taller than Iolaus, they looked amazingly similar.

"Aer. What are you doing out here?" a male voice called from behind them.

"Your Majesty. I was just showing our guests to the throne room. . ."

They turned to greet the new arrival and their shock renewed itself. The king stood before them, a warm smile lighting his handsome face. A ringlet of gold adorned his wavy blond hair and his azure eyes sparkled with life. They glanced quickly at one another, then down at Iolaus. If they hadn't known that their friend had been turned into the child they now cared for, they would've sworn he was the man standing before them.

"Thank you, Hector. I would've been there waiting, but Linus informed Niobe and myself that Aetheria had managed to sneak out of her room. . .again." King Orestes looked down at the girl, but the stern look he attempted quickly dissolved into a smile once more. He then glanced at the shocked looks on his royal visitors' faces. "Is something wrong?"

Iphicles shook himself out of his daze. "I'm sorry. . .it's just that you look exactly like a friend of ours."

Orestes looked perplexed for a moment, then a wide smile lit his face. "Iolaus? Are you friends of my cousin?" There was a twinkle in his eye as he thought of his favorite relative. "Well then, I'd say we have a lot more to discuss than we thought." He laughed as he stepped forward, took his daughter's hand, and led them down the corridor.

Iphicles glanced down at Iolaus as they followed. 'A lot more than you know.'

* * *

They entered the throne room to find Queen Niobe waiting. Like the others, she was amazed at the strong resemblance between her daughter and the visiting prince. Learning his name was an even bigger shock.

"They are friends of Iolaus, Niobe. My cousin must be very pleased to have such a beautiful child as a namesake." He looked over to where the children were playing with Linus. "Still the resemblance is amazing. . ."

Iphicles and Rena smiled nervously, unsure how to bring the truth out into the open. Then from behind them they heard Hector muttering to himself.

"Very amazing."

"They look like they could be brother and sister," Niobe laughed as they took their seats at the conference table.

Nobody noticed the panic that flashed across Iphicles' face at that simple jest.

' _These people are blood relation. If they decide they want to keep him. . ._ '

Iphicles was enjoying the second chance he'd been given to be there for a child. . .he'd missed so much with his own son. He had come to realize over the past few weeks that he needed Iolaus as much as the boy needed him.

He knew he had to tell these people, but how could he be sure he wouldn't lose the child to them?

* * *

The meeting went well, although it was obvious that Iphicles had been distracted through most of it. The alliance was readily accepted on both sides and they quickly put quill to parchment to complete the pact.

Iphicles signed first and stood back as Orestes bent to add his name. The blonde looked over his shoulder at the taller man, quill hovering over the paper.

"So, when are you going to tell us how it happened?" He smiled at the confusion on the visiting royal's face and quickly finished signing the document.

"What?" Iphicles finally managed to ask.

"How was my cousin turned into a child?" There was a mischievous twinkle in his eye that would have made Iolaus proud.

* * *

"H-how-?" Iphicles stammered in shock.

"It really was not that hard to determine. The child looks like neither of you but, as Hector pointed out to me while you were distracted earlier, looks exactly like I did as a child. Now either my cousin is the father. . .the child would not be likely to bear his name if that were the case. . .or he _is_ my cousin." Orestes smiled and sat back down, clearly waiting for an explanation.

Iphicles took a deep breath and told all that he knew about what had happened to Iolaus. Most of the details were sketchy since Hercules had not told him everything, but he explained how Hercules had taken his erstwhile friend to his heart as a son when it was clear the transformation was not as temporary as he'd first believed. He then told them how Hercules had brought the boy to them to keep him safe from his spiteful stepmother. There was a catch in his voice as he explained how attached he'd grown to the toddler since the day his brother left.

"I was going to tell you what had happened, but. . ."

"You were afraid we'd claim a right to the child because we're blood relation." Niobe smiled sympathetically.

"Don't worry. Aer is enough of a handful for us. Besides I think Linus would probably grow old before his time if he were to care for both children on a daily basis," Orestes laughed. To prove his point he motioned toward the children who were now climbing all over their hapless guardian.

The rest of the day was spent getting acquainted. It was clear before long that not only was an alliance made that day, but a true friendship had formed between both couples as well. They decided to have a picnic the next day before the Corinthians left.

* * *

Shortly before noon the next day the royals arrived at a small lake near the palace's hunting grounds. It was a beautiful place for a picnic. A small waterfall fed into the far side of the lake, while a grove of trees provided the clearing with ample shading from the sun. Wildflowers bloomed all around, and birds and small animals were in abundance.

Hector and Linus set about getting everything ready for the meal while the two couples took the children down to the lake.

It had the makings of a perfect day.

* * *

Meanwhile, back at the castle, a special visitor had arrived to meet Attica's royal couple.

"I'm sorry, sir. King Orestes and Queen Niobe are not here. They are out enjoying a day with the visiting King and Queen of Corinth," the guard replied to his query.

"Iphicles and Rena? Did they have a child with them? A little blond boy?"

"Yes, sir. A child of maybe 2 ½ or 3 years."

"Can you tell me where they are, please?"

The guard hesitated a moment, but finally consented and gave the directions to the lake.

"Thank you." The taller man called over his shoulder as he headed off.

The guard watched him go, still amazed that he had been in the presence of the legendary Hercules.

* * *

The demigod followed the guard's directions and made his way toward the picnic sight. He couldn't believe his brother and Rena were visiting at the same time he had come to meet some of Iolaus' family. His heart had soared when he'd been told that there was a small blond child with them. He had missed Iolaus so much the last few weeks.

When he'd left the boy with Iphicles it had been because he'd feared that he was a danger to the child. He'd convinced himself it was for the best. Iolaus' safety was the highest priority. Wasn't it?

He'd heard the boy screaming for him to come back and he almost had, but he'd forced himself to go on. He'd spent that first night in a cave, weeping. Every night since he'd awaken in the middle of the night hearing the heartrending sobs and that last torturous scream.

On top of the guilt he felt for abandoning the boy, he found himself falling into a depression he could not escape. He was lost without Iolaus. He'd taken the boy in his heart as a son and there was no way to escape the pain of losing him. . .especially when he'd given him up freely.

Weeks of wandering, the pitying glances people gave the unkempt traveler, and the yearning for his adopted son had finally led him to head back toward Corinth to reclaim his fatherly duties. That conviction had finally brought the realization of his appearance to him and he'd stopped in Attica to get a good meal, bath, and a night's rest in a real bed. He knew that the king was Iolaus' cousin and had always wished to meet him and his wife, Niobe, so he'd decided to pay a call to the palace before he continued his journey.

Little had he known that it would lead to the reunion his heart so desperately needed. Now he was almost to the picnic area. . .and Iolaus.

"Halt! These are the private hunting grounds of the King of Attica. Who goes there?"

Hercules looked at the soldier standing before him and smiled. Iolaus' description of the king's aide left no doubt who the older man was.

"Hector, right?" The demigod smiled at the shocked look on the man's face. "I'm Hercules. My friend, Iolaus, told me about the situation he helped you with a while back."

"Hercules?" He looked skeptical for a second, but after remembering Iolaus' description of the demigod and telling Linus and himself that his friend was 'just a guy', he smiled. "It's an honor to meet you." They shook hands in greeting. "I'm relieving one of the guards and cannot leave my post, but if you would like to go on and meet your family, they are right through there." He pointed through a clump of bushes. "There'll be another guard there to meet you."

"Thank you." The demigod smiled and then disappeared into the brush.

When he cleared the bushes he could see the lake and was able to spot Rena and a beautiful woman who he concluded must be Niobe, before the guard on duty confronted him.

"Who goes there?"

"I'm Hercules. I'm here to see my bro-"

"Guard, what is it?"

Hercules looked in the direction the voice came from and almost fainted from shock. Standing before him was Iolaus. . .an adult Iolaus. He was dressed in a purple silk shirt with flared sleeves and his normally unruly golden locks were swept back from his face.

The shock passed and Hercules smiled and did the only thing he could think of.

* * *

Orestes was totally unprepared for the attack. One minute he was questioning his guard and the next two strong arms had encircled him, entrapping his arms. He was then pulled off the ground in a rib cracking embrace.

The guard didn't know what to do. He couldn't exactly call a hug an assault on his king.

"Excuse me!" Orestes managed to gasp out. "Do I know you?" The question startled Hercules and he put the smaller man back down. "Thank you. . .from the bottom of my crushed ribcage." The blonde managed a smile as he tried to catch his breath. "Now, can I help you with something. . ." He waited, but the demigod was too stunned to answer the unspoken question. "Do you have a name?"

"Iolaus-?"

"Iolaus? Really? What a coincidence, that's my cousin's name as well."

"No. No. My name isn't. . .cousin? You're _Orestes_?!"

"Yes, I'm King Orestes. Who are you?" the blonde asked gently, as if humoring a maniac.

"Hercules!" They both turned to find Iphicles regarding his brother with cold eyes. "What are you doing here?"

The demigod was taken aback by the open hostility his older brother was directing toward him.

"I came to meet some of Iolaus' kin, then found out you were here. I wanted to see Iolaus."

"I bet you do. Do you think you can just abandon the boy, then come strolling back as if nothing had happened?! Do you know how long he cried for you?" Iphicles got right in his brother's face. "Go away, Hercules. I will not let you hurt that child again."

Turning on his heels the Corinthian headed back toward the picnic area. Hercules began to follow, but stopped as he saw Iolaus running toward Iphicles, his arms outstretched.

"Daddy!"

The demigod felt his heart shatter as his brother scooped the boy up in his arms and, kissing his cheek, carried him back down to the lake.

* * *

Hercules felt a gentle hand grasp his shoulder. He turned, his tear-filled eyes meeting Orestes' sympathetic gaze.

"Hercules, I do not know you but, from what my cousin has told me, you are a good man. Also, from what little your brother has said, I know that you love the child as if he were your son. It must have been very hard for you to walk away from him."

"It was the hardest thing I've ever done." The demigod's voice was a mere whisper. In his mind he kept seeing the boy running to him, calling him "Daddy," all the hugs and kisses the demonstrative child had given to, and received from, him. Then suddenly it changed to the child calling Iphicles "Daddy" and running to his arms.

Orestes saw the anguish in the demigod's eyes and once again reached up to pat his arm, compassionately.

"Hercules, your brother is a good man, but I believe his emotions have colored his judgement. I know the he doesn't want you to hurt the boy again, but I believe there is more to it than that. He has grown to love Iolaus as a son, just as you have, and he is afraid of losing him to you." The blonde glanced back toward the two people in question. "My cousin is lucky to have two men so passionate about wanting to be his father," he said, more to himself than Hercules. He looked at the taller man and smiled. "I believe that, given time, your brother will come to see that his fear is selfish. . .and it is a long carriage ride from Attica to Corinth. They leave tomorrow." Giving the demigod a wink, the king returned to his company.

Hercules watched him go. A smile crossed his face as he realized that looks weren't the only thing Iolaus and his cousin shared. He then turned and started his long journey. When his brother and Iolaus arrived in Corinth he would be waiting.

In the shadows nearby a dark form had been watching the proceedings with interest and smiled evilly. Corinth it would be. A soft flash of light and the shadows were empty once more.

The End


End file.
